Noemi Vidal is a teen
soldier from the planet Genesis, once a colony of Earth that's now at
war for its independence. The humans of Genesis have fought Earth's
robotic "mech" armies for decades with no end in sight.

After a
surprise attack, Noemi finds herself stranded in space on an abandoned
ship where she meets Abel, the most sophisticated mech prototype ever
made. One who should be her enemy. But Abel's programming forces him to
obey Noemi as his commander, which means he has to help her save
Genesis--even though her plan to win the war will kill him.

Together
they embark on a daring voyage through the galaxy. Before long, Noemi
begins to realize Abel may be more than a machine, and, for his part,
Abel's devotion to Noemi is no longer just a matter of programming.

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

The fight for independence takes to the cosmos as the planet Genesis fights for its freedom from its parent planet, Earth. Noemi is a teen soldier, schooled in the art of battle, but nothing could prepare Genesis for the robotic, seemingly unbeatable “mech” armies sent from Earth Then again, nothing prepared the most powerful “mech” in the universe for Noemi. Will she turn him into a spaceage version of Pinocchio?

When forced to seek refuge on an abandoned ship, Noemi finds Abel, a mech waiting for his creator’s return. What starts as a less than trusting relationship between a human soldier and her enemy’s mech turns into a journey across the stars that brings two unlikely beings closer than either would have ever imagined.

From start to finish, there is sky high tension, high energy action and a race to stay alive, as one human learns to accept that there can be more humanity and honor in a mech than in most “humans.” For his part, Abel discovers he may be more human than he realize as he finds emotions beyond his directives that he is willing to explore and build on.

Claudia Gray’s DEFY THE STARS takes readers across the galaxy at warp speeds, uncovering dark secrets, making strange allies, powerful enemies and facing the ultimate choices. Noemi is a powerful character, able to adapt, willing to risk everything for her world and for Abel, the mech who learned to be human. Abel is sometimes innocent, sometimes overly analytical, but always a fascinating character. Would I say he is alive, not unlike Pinocchio? YES!

Ms. Gray takes on so many topics of interest, the ethics of war, religion, of a mech’s ability to have actual free will? Is Abel capable of love? Thought provoking, entertaining brilliance on every page as Earth’s future has once again been tainted by humanity’s need to take, conquer and control those who dare to stand up to be free!

I received an ARC edition from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in exchange for my honest review.